Sick Love
by MidnightAngelCedric
Summary: Literally and metaphorically! Laney's sick with a terrible cold, and Phillip decides to take care of her and keep her company while her dad and friends are busy. Like the title, their feelings for each other are sickening sweet and lovely... but they haven't even confessed to each other. Phillip x Laney. One-Shot.


**I decided to a do a long One-Shot with Phillip and Laney, since there were very VERY few fanfics with them. I honestly don't know what category this kind of fanfic belongs to besides romance, but please enjoy! I might plan to do more if this story does well.**

**Read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon and every character throughout the series.**

* * *

_**Phillip x Laney: Sick Love**_

It had been a few weeks since the demolition of the rock that blocked the tunnel between Konohana and Bluebell Town, signifying the end of their rivalry and conflict. Thanks to Phillip and Lillian's hard work, they had managed to reach through the mayors that once considered each other rivals. The residents from both of their homes were interacting each other, from friendly conversations to mutual business deals. They even started to share different aspects of their lifestyle and culture, which the mayors enjoyed seeing after the end of their feud.

Phillip continued to be a farmer for Konohana Village, while Lillian still took care of her animals at Bluebell Town. However, the two farmers began mixing up their farming skills after the end of the towns' rivalry; the red-headed farmer was given a few animals from the Bluebell Farmer herself, while she received good seeds of new crops from him. In addition to that, they would occasionally switch places; Phillip being in Bluebell Town and Lillian being in Konohana Village to further enhance their experience as farmers. The residents of both town didn't mind at all, and even welcomed them and willingly taught these two the basics and fundamentals of their respected fields.

Currently, Phillip was in Bluebell Town, and Lillian was in Konohana Village.

Phillip finished his chores for the day and was already on his way to see a certain maid at Howard's restaurant. He had grown attracted to her since their first encounter at his first time in the Cooking Festival between two towns. Ever since the end of the towns' rivalry, he and Laney had been seeing each other more often than during the feud.

Similar with the red-headed farmer, the blond girl had started to fall for Phillip. At first, she thought the Konohana Farmer would be biased and rude like the other villagers at Konohana. His physical appearance said otherwise. And when they encountered each other for the first time, she was definitely wrong. Ever since then, she regretted of her own bias towards Konohana Village and its villagers, and hoped that Phillip and Lillian would unite the two towns together until that that day came.

While they have had feelings for each other, neither have spoken about their feelings. While they were both unaware of their love for each other, the residents of both towns easily knew of their blind love... and have been trying convince them about their feelings... to which both Phillip and Laney didn't believe them due to their shyness and fear of rejection. Even the mayors tried to set them up, which made them both frustrated after many attempts... which all failed due to their excuse for work.

As the male redhead continued making his way to Howard's restaurant, he noticed Kana and Georgia walking with their horses. He was about to greet them when he heard a certain girl's name.

"Woah... so, Laney's got a cold right now?" Kana asked the red-headed girl, concerned. "How bad is it...?"

"Well... she said that she kept coughing and sneezing... and her whole body aches after either one of those," she replied with a worried expression. "I hope she feels well soon..."

_Oh no... Laney's sick...?_ the male redhead thought, extremely worried.

They continued to chat until Phillip approached them to catch their attention.

"Kana! Georgia!" the male farmer greeted, standing in front of them. "Hey."

"Phillip, my man!" Kana greeted back slinging his arm around Phillip's neck, happy to see his friend again. "How's Bluebell Town doing for you?"

"Same as Konohana Village," the male farmer replied with a smile, chuckling at his friend's actions. "Busy as ever." His cheerful expression was replaced with a worried one. "I overheard you guys just a few moments ago..." he said with a sad tone. "Is Laney sick?"

"Yeah... she's been sick for the past 2 days..." Georgia explained, looking down. "I mean, it's just a cold... she would have been better by now." The ginger-haired girl sighed with a hint of frustration. "Knowing her, she probably avoided taking medicine again."

"Again...?" both guys asked in surprise.

"Laney doesn't like taking medicine, even though she's aware that not taking it won't cure her cold," she told them. "She's been like that since our childhood..." Georgia closed her eyes, remembering how stubborn her close friend was a long time ago. "Even at her age right now, I can't believe she's still avoiding medicine."

"Kinda reminds me of a certain someone when he got sick after a few weeks since his first arrival in Konohana Village... eh, Phillip?" Kana teased the male farmer, annoying him.

"Hey! it was only because I never had herbal medicine before in my entire life!" the male redhead defended himself, glaring at the male brunette. "And whose fault was it that made me run after the escaped horses in the middle of the rain and got very sick after that all because he thought they would be okay with the doors open?!"

"Hey, it started to rain, okay?!" Kana told him. "I didn't mean to forget about the lock."

"Oh, like you didn't mean to forget about my health the next day?"

"WILL YOU TWO STOP IT?!" Georgia shouted angrily at them with a scary glare, annoyed by the potential bickering between the two boys.

"Sorry!" the boys apologized quickly, not wanting to deal with her anger.

The horse-loving girl sighed as she rubbed her temples.

"Anyway, I think Laney might appreciate it if she has company, with being bored in bed all day," she suggested. "But I'm very busy today, so I can't make it."

"Same here... I have to get back to Konohana Village after this," the male brunette told Georgia. "And Lillian's currently busy with her own farm back there."

The two looked at each other for a moment before they turned their gazes towards the Phillip, who had a confused and worried expression on his face. The horse-loving friends smiled at him.

"W-what?" the nervous boy asked, not liking where this was going. "What is it...?"

"Phillip," Kana began as he patted his best friend in the back. "I'm sure Laney would be happy to see you!"

"C'mon, Kana...! I'm tired of you guys setting me up!"

"But we already keep telling you that Laney feels the same way for you!"

Georgia sighed as she put a hand on her hip.

"Look, Phillip... as much as I want to disagree with this crazy guy here... I think Laney would appreciate your company," she told the nervous boy. "Plus, I think you're the only one who can make her overcome her stubborn habit with medicine... seeing as you had a similar experience..." The ginger-haired girl glanced at Kana with an expression that defined her looking down on him... despite the height.

Kana just looked away and whistled.

"But..." Phillip started.

"Please, Phillip...?" Georgia asked, looking at him with a sad expression. "You're the only person I have full faith that you'll help my close friend and take care of her in my place."

The redheaded farmer couldn't say 'no' to that. He sighed before nodding.

"Alright..." Phillip replied.

"Thanks, Phillip."

Georgia gave a grateful smile before glaring at the horse-loving man, who just laughed nervously at her ominous stare while slowly backing away.

"As for you..."

She grabbed Kana by the ear, earning a yelp of pain from him. The two began to walk away, with more yelps of pain coming from him.

Phillip watched them before sighing nervously. He turned and headed for Howard's restaurant...

_I hope she's okay..._

* * *

**_Howard's Cafe_**

"_Achoo...!_"

How did this happen to her...?

Was it the changing of seasons? Had she overworked herself? Did she eat something that made her feel this way? Or did she spend too much time outside at night...?

In the end, she had a cold. And it frustrated her.

Laney suddenly coughed a few times before her whole body started to ache. The blond girl pulled out another tissue before blowing her nose into it. She had never felt worse in her life. It was a good thing Phillip didn't see her like this. She looked like a complete disaster...

Okay, that was over exaggerating... but she still was a complete mess in her condition.

There was a knock on the door.

"Laney?" Howard called behind the door before opening it to see his sick daughter. "How are you feeling?" He had a worried expression on his face.

"I'm okay..." the girl replied somewhat weakly, trying to sound lively and upbeat. "Never better..." She was interrupted by her own coughs, but smiled nervously... which Howard never fell for it. "I can still work at the cafe..." The sick blond girl suddenly sneezed, which caused a small pain in her head.

"Oh no you don't!" the huge man replied in a lecturing tone. "You're too sick to go down! You need to stay in bed and rest for a while." Howard was greatly worried for his daughter to be in an worse condition than she already is. "Don't worry about the cafe," he reassured her with a small smile. "I can handle work by myself."

Laney looked down with a sad and guilty expression. She didn't want to make her father do all the work.

"Have you taken your medicine yet?" he asked his daughter.

The girl tensed at his question. _Oh, why did he have to bring that question up...?_

"N-no..." she answered in a quiet tone, bringing the blanket up to her nose as she looked away in shame. "I-I haven't..."

"WHAT...?!"

Howard had a shocked expression on his face.

Laney became nervous as she tried to give him an honest answer. _It's because I still don't like taking medicine..._ she thought, ashamed. _Honestly... I'm such a child..._

"Laney?" her father called her, making her snap out her thoughts.

"It's because..." she began, looking at him.

"Because...?"

"I... I forgot to," she lied.

"You forgot to...?" Howard repeated his daughter's words, narrowing eyes on her.

"My goodness, Laney!" Howard continued to lecture. "That's terrible...!"

The blond girl tensed for an angry lecture from him. She knew it. Her dad was going to get angry for her stubborn personality when it came to medicine. Oh, how she wished to get rid of that immature habit...

"It looks like your cold is getting worse!"

_Huh...?_

"Oh, I have to let the doctors at Konohana Village know!"

"Dad! Wait...!"

The huge man turned around... head back towards the door... only to have the door suddenly slam him in the face.

Phillip appeared behind the door that slammed him before looking at the huge man.

Phillip...?!

Laney pulled the covers up to her nose again in embarrassment. Why did Phillip come here? Out of all the days of him visiting her in her room, it had to be the day she was sick. Her face was slightly red.

"Oh... sorry, Howard," the redhead farmer apologized to him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but my precious daughter isn't!" the man cried. "She never forgets to take medicine!"

"Dad...! You're overreacting again!" Laney yelled at him, embarrassed at his father's public display of emotions in front of her male friend. "You're..." She couldn't finish due to her head hurting again. "Agh... my head..."

"Woah... don't get yourself worked up," Phillip told her as he approached her, placing his hands on her shoulders to set her down gently on a set of pillows that supported her back.

Laney gazed him at awe as he helped her, her cheeks tinted pink... and not just because of her cold. She noticed he was looking back at her, but not in the same gaze she had. Rather, it was curiosity and concern.

"You really do look awful..." Phillip told her bluntly.

The blond girl's eyes widened in realization and shock before pulling away from him and hiding under the covers. She was very embarrassed right now. Laney wished she was never sick...

Phillip realized his mistake from what he said and quickly tried to apologize.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean it like that!" the redhead farmer told her. "I meant your health! I meant your condition was getting worse!"

"Oh, just admit it!" Laney cried, letting out a few sobs. "I really do look like a mess! All because of this stupid cold!"

"Look, Laney... I don't care how you look," Phillip said, removing the covers that... covered her. "I wanna take care of you so you can get well." He held her delicate hands as he stared at her with a serious expression. "I'm worried about you and your health... look, I'll stay by your side and look after you."

"Phillip..."

The sick girl blushed at his words. His serious and cool tone wasn't helping either. She always knew Phillip cared for her... but this was an extent of their friendship. Did he really have feelings for her...?

"Well, I'm the only one that can keep you company... since Georgia's busy helping her dad, Cam's out of town, and Lillian's busy in Konohana Village," he admitted sheepishly. "Georgia told me to keep you company."

_Oh, so that's why... I can't believe my best friend set me up with him again!_ Laney thought angrily. She was getting real tired of their attempts when she didn't know how the male farmer would feel about her. After a moment of thought, the sick girl sighed. She should be grateful, though. She was lucky to have the man she had feelings for as company, seeing how Georgia, Cam, and Lillian were occupied with their jobs. She greatly missed them right now...

_No... I shouldn't be sad about that! I should enjoy Phillip's company while he's here!_

"Thanks, Phillip..." Laney told him, giving him a serene and grateful smile. "Thanks for coming here..."

The redhead farmer blushed at her beautiful smile. He still thought she had a beautiful smile, despite being sick. He returned a smile and placed his hand on her head in a caring way.

The sound of a clearing throat was heard.

Phillip and Laney tensed and gazed towards Howard, who just smirked at the situation.

"I hope you two would keep your relationship under restriction," he told them with a teasing smile. "I know you two care for each other... but please don't get too carried away in showing your love."

The redhead farmer and sick girl blushed deeply.

"DAD...!" she yelled at him.

"Oh, my! Look at the time!" Howard suddenly said, heading outside of his daughter's room. "These customers can't take care of themselves! I have to get back to work! Take care!" With that, the huge man closed the door, leaving the two alone.

Neither have said anything when the door opened again, Howard popping his head.

"Oh, and Phillip, make sure Laney takes her medicine before going back to rest!" With that, Howard closed the door and left them alone again.

Few moments have passed until the sick girl spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Phillip..." she apologized to him, feeling guilty. "My dad can be embarrassing sometimes... he was just teasing when he said those things." She laughed nervously. "He really didn't mean any of those things."

"It's fine," the Bluebell Farmer replied, chuckling. "Your dad can be eccentric... but I know he's a good father to you."

Laney smiled at him. She was grateful to have such a kind person to care for her and keep her company while her loved ones were busy. That suddenly reminded her...

"Did you already finish your chores for the day?" she asked him, curious of his free time. The blond girl had always wondered how fast the farmer finished his work. Was his skills of a farmer growing so soon already...? She had faith he was... especially when he and Lillian united the two towns again. She could probably say the same thing for her Lillian too. She was grateful to have two unique farmers come to their towns and help them resolve their problems.

"Yup... I finished early so I could see you," Phillip answered while scratching his head, his cheeks tinted pink. "You could say I was eager to talk with you again after Lillian and I switched places yesterday."

The blond girl blushed at his statement, looking down at her blanket. She was smiling inside. If she was feeling better and Phillip wasn't around, she would have danced happily to know that he wanted to see her. Laney let out a giggle, which caught the male farmer off guard.

"Did that sound weird and cheesy?" Phillip asked, confused and somewhat nervous.

"No..." she told him, shaking her head. "I'm actually really grateful... I never thought you'd do that for me... you always seem so busy." She always did think that, especially when it looked like he was willing to reunite Bluebell Town and Konohana Village. She even thought he was no interested in being in a relationship...

"Do I look busy to you right now?" the male farmer asked, chuckling.

"Well, no..." Laney replied, smiling. "But I knew you and Lillian always worked hard to reunite the two towns."

"That's true..."

Phillip felt a little guilty that he didn't spend enough time with her, especially when the residents and mayors of both towns reconciled with each other. And now with Cam being out of town and Georgia more occupied with her work, Laney probably began to feel lonely.

"Sorry about not being able to hang out with you for the past few weeks..." he said, looking down.

"Don't be," the blond girl replied, giggling. "I actually admire you for working hard."

"But-"

"Achoo!"

Laney suddenly sneezed again before coughing a bit. Her body ached from that again. Oh, how she hated this cold, no matter how many times she mentally said it.

"You okay?" Phillip asked, worried.

"I'm alright," Laney somewhat replied.

"Oh, yeah... you haven't taken your medicine, have you?" the redhead farmer asked, smirking.

"U-uh..." the sick girl stuttered, trying to find a way to get out of this situation. She definitely didn't want to take medicine.

"C'mon, Laney... you're a grown woman," he said with his arms crossed. "Taking medicine shouldn't scare you that much."

"I know that," Laney told him, sighing. "All my life, I've been trying to overcome that fear whenever I get sick... but in the end, I have to get someone to help me take them... pretty childish, isn't it?"

Phillip sighed before he spoke again.

"There is one way I can help you..."

"Really?" the blond girl asked. "What is it?"

He blushed deeply.

"Mouth to mouth," he answered quickly.

Laney's eyes widened in shock, her face growing red. Mouth to mouth...?! She could barely take medicine by herself! What kind of idea was he suggesting? But it would be nice to kiss him again... his soft lips against hers... his taste his scent-

She mentally shook those kind of thoughts out of her head.

"Why would you even suggest that?!" the sick maid asked, deeply embarrassed. "That's just...!"

"Hey! You can't even take medicine by yourself!" he told her reasonably. "If I-I have to help you take medicine, it's either you do it yourself, or... that!"

Laney groaned silently, unsure of those options. In the end, she had to be brave. She sighed, making her choice.

"Give me the medicine..." she told him.

Phillip did as she told him to, reaching over towards the bottle and spoon and handing them over to his sick friend.

Laney opened the bottle, her face wrinkling from the terrible smell. She gently poured a little onto the spoon. After that, she handed the bottle back to Phillip, which he took and placed it back on the night table next to Laney's bed. The blond girl sighed before pinching her nose and closing her eyes.

_Here goes nothing..._

She inserted the spoon into her mouth, flinching from the awful taste of that medicine. She quickly swallowed every last drop of it before removing the spoon out of her mouth. It was so bitter that the sick girl almost gagged.

_Ugh... the taste is terrible..._

"Water..." she managed to speak, hand-gesturing him to hand him the glass of water next to he bottle of medicine.

Phillip quickly grabbed the cup of water and handed it to her, which she quickly snatched it and downed every single clear drop that washed away the bitter taste in her mouth.

After drinking the whole cup, Laney sighed in relief, very grateful that she got the medicine thing over with in a second.

"See...? That wasn't so bad," Phillip said, smiling at her. "I knew you could do it."

"Only because I either had to do it myself or I had to let you... do that," Laney responded shyly with a hint of being stubborn. "At least I got over my old fear..." She muttered that to herself.

"What was that?" Phillip asked innocently, not being able to hear what she just said.

"Nothing..." the blond maid replied, shaking her head.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, is there anything you want me to do?" he asked her.

"Leave."

The redhead farmer felt his heart shatter after hearing that cruel word leave from her mouth. Though, she couldn't blame her after he made her drink the medicine. His suggestion probably scared him.

"Oh... okay," he said quietly with a sad tone, standing up to head towards the door. "Well, hope you get better."

"Huh...? You're going out already?" Laney asked, confused.

"Didn't you want me to?"

"Sorry... I meant wait outside my room for a few minutes," she explained before blushing. "I'm going to change..."

Phillip blushed at what she told him. "O-oh, okay... let me know when you're done changing..." With that, he entered outside and closed the door behind him.

...

Few minutes had passed since Phillip waited outside. He thought about her relationship with Laney. Their recent encounter was... interesting but weird. Taking care of her while she was okay, but suggesting a mouth-to-mouth was just plain wrong. He regretted suggesting such an indecent act. Even though that didn't happen, he felt a little empty...

He could've felt her soft lips against his... her taste... her smell...

_Woah, almost lost myself there... maybe I really did wanna kiss her..._ he thought. _I guess I'm losing control already... of how much I love her... but what if she doesn't love me back? And even if we did get together, would we stay together forever...?  
_

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened to reveal Laney wearing a different set of pajamas. He noticed the color and patterns she wore. They were pink with lacy-white hearts. He tried to look away, but her pajamas fit her so well. He was easily in trance.

_She looks so cute in those..._

"Phillip?" Laney called to him, snapping her fingers once. "You're staring at me weirdly."

"Oh...! Sorry about that!" he apologized, blushing. "It's just unusual to see you in pajamas."

The blond maid couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah... I guess that's true... I get up pretty early like you to change into my usual attire," she told him. "Do they look weird on me?"

"Not at all," Phillip replied, shaking his head. "I think they look cute on you."

Laney couldn't help but blush at his bold comment. She smiled on him for his honesty. All of a sudden, she felt light-headed and was about to collapse.

"Woah!"

The Bluebell Farmer quickly caught her before she hit the ground.

"Sorry about that," Laney said, recovering.

"I think we should get you back to bed again," the male redhead suggested.

She nodded and before she knew it, she was carried bridal-style by the man she had feelings for. The sick girl couldn't help but blush as she hid her face away from him. Was she willing to become more than friends with him...? Was it going to worth it? Was it going to be okay...?

Phillip placed the blond maid on her bed, to which she sat her knees up to her chest. He grabbed a nearby chair and placed it next to her bed before sitting down.

Both of them stayed silent for a moment before the red-haired man noticed a large book under her bed. He reached down and grabbed the book up to his lap. He realized this was a photo album.

"Hey, Laney... is this photo album yours?" he asked her, curious.

Laney's eyes widened as she saw the large book on his lap. She quickly turned and faced towards him, shocked.

"Where did you find it?!" she asked. "I've been looking all over for it!"

"It was under your bed," he told her.

At that moment, the sick girl wanted to facepalm for not checking under the bed. She was relieved to find the photo album... but now, it was currently in the hands of Phillip.

"Can I take a look inside...?" he asked her innocently like a child. "I promise I won't make fun of you."

Laney wanted to say 'no' to him, but the sad-puppy face he made was making it hard for her. In the end, she gave up and decided to let him.

"Fine... but if I catch one laugh out of you, I'm going to take it back," she replied, crossing her arms.

"I promise I won't laugh," the Bluebell Farmer reassured her with a kind smile before opening the first page.

There were several photos of Laney, from being a newborn to being a little toddler. In each photo, she was seen doing several activities: blowing a candle on her birthday party, playing with her new toy, eating cake, etc. Just like now, she seemed like a happy and cheerful little girl.

"You look so adorable in all of these pictures," Phillip told her as a compliment. "You must've had a nice childhood."

"Not really..." she said with modesty. "I had a normal childhood like any kid would have."

He turned tot he next page and noticed a photo with Laney and a familiar girl with ginger hair.

"Hey... is that Georgia?" Phillip asked, smiling at the photo.

Laney looked over to see and smiled as well. "Yup, that's her when she was little," the sick girl answered cheerfully. "It was when she just moved here for the first time from a ranch in the far west... she was very shy, but she and I became best friends after we talked about baking."

"Georgia can bake?" the redhead farmer asked with an amused look. "I didn't know that."

"I'm not so sure anymore," she told him. "I never seen her bake for a long time since we were kids... but now, she's probably too busy to bake."

Phillip continued examining more pictures until he her with a scary and intimidating man with his masculine looks.

"Who's that?" he asked her, pointing at the photo.

"Oh, that's my dad."

...

"Huh?! That's your dad...?!" the male redhead asked, shocked from her answer. "I couldn't recognize him!" It was so hard to believe her that the huge and scary man in the photo was Howard, the giant and friendly guy that the residents of Bluebell Town enjoyed having a conversation with.

"I expected that," Laney replied with a smile. "It's because he never wore make-up."

"Wow... the wonders of what make-up can do..." Phillip muttered.

"You don't even know the half of it," Laney said with a cute smirk.

Phillip looked at a few more pictures until he came across a photo with her as a little girl while standing next to a familiar boy with a flower in his hand. He had a purple cap on his brown hair, and his green eyes screamed shyness and innocence.

"Let me guess... Cam?"

"Yup," Laney replied, nodding. "He was like a little brother to me." She giggled for a moment. "He was even more shy than Georgia... he always hid behind me when we would talk to the other kids."

"No way... that Cam?"

"Hard to believe, right?" she asked.

Phillip turned a few more pages, seeing Laney grow up in every photo. That is... until he came across an unsorted photo. It was Laney as a little toddler, with Howard without his make-up back then. Next to them stood a beautiful lady that had a strong resemblance to Laney with her hair and facial features.

"Laney... who's that woman with you and Howard?" he asked. "She looks a lot like you..."

The blond maid looked over before she let out a quiet gasp, her curios expression before changing into a sad one. She had a nostalgic yet melancholic smile on her face.

"That's my mother," she answered quietly.

Phillip's eyes widened in realization. Now that he thought about it, he truly believed that the woman in the photo was her mother...

"Oh..."

There was no need to ask what happened to her when she started explaining what had happened during her childhood.

"She died from illness when I was three years old," Laney told him. "At that time, I only remembered a few memories with her when she spent time with me... my dad told me she was a very kind woman like me, but she did have a mischievous side." She looked up in the air, remembering those times with her mother. "I remember when she used to sing me a lullaby whenever I would cry in the middle of the night... or take care of me when I get sick."

Phillip's eyes widened from the last part of her explanation.

_Is that what held her back...?_

"Ever since her death, I was always distant and alone... even sad to the point I'd suddenly start crying at random times," she told him. "I felt so lonely back then..."

"Laney..."

Phillip looked down, feeling bad for asking who that woman was.

"Sorry-"

"I'm not done yet."

"Huh?"

After a few moments of silence, Laney had a cheerful smile as he looked at Phillip again. "One day... my dad cheered me up by putting on make-up and a blond wig," she said, trying to hold back her laughter. "You should've seen it... he was so eccentric and humorous that I started laughing so hard... and then he hugged me... telling me that everything's gonna be alright, and that he'd take care of me as best as he can."

She flipped the next page to reveal a photo showing her, Georgia and Cam.

"And meeting Georgia and Cam, along with new residents that moved in, also made me happy... that I'd never be alone again," the sick girl finished. "I could never forget my dad and my friends for being there whenever I felt alone." She closed her eyes as she continued to smile. "But that was a long time ago... everyone seems to be more distant nowadays... but at least I can take care of myself now."

The blond girl suddenly felt a pair of arms around her. She opened her eyes to see Phillip hugging her gently.

"You're not alone," he told her with a gentle. "You're not alone, Laney... because..."

He looked at her intently with a serious expression.

"I'll always be by your side."

She couldn't help but blush at his words. The way he said that made it so... it was hard for to say it. Her heart was beating fast as the world around them seemed to fade, leaving just the moment between the two of them.

"Phillip..." Laney whispered.

Their heads began to lean towards each other... closing their distance as they stared at each other with gazes of love before their eyes closed. They didn't care that the other was going to get sick. They wanted to get rid of the mental border between them. Their lips were just an inch apart...

There was a knock on the door before it suddenly opened to reveal Howard.

"Laney, dear! I made some snacks for you and Phillip! I'll bring it over!"

By that moment, Phillip and Laney were already facing away from each other. Both of their faces were red.

"O-oh! Wonderful...!" the blond girl stuttered as she kept a smile. "T-thanks, dad!"

"T-thank you, sir!" the blushing farmer spoke as well.

He smiled before closing the door, leaving the two alone.

They both sighed in relief.

_That was close..._ they both thought.

A few moments later, Howard came in and brought a tray of Cherry Pie, Cookies, and Honey Tea for them. He excused himself and left them alone, returning to serve the customers in his cafe.

The sound of their stomachs grumbling can be heard, which made Phillip and Laney blush in embarrassment.

"Ahahaha... we should probably eat now," Phillip suggested, still blushing.

"Y-yeah..."

For a while, the two ate the snacks Howard offered to them. As they did so, they talked about what was going on in both Bluebell own and Konohana Village. The topic quickly changed into Phillip's past... though he was only to remember a few things, such as some of his family members and friends in the past life. After that, they talked about hobbies and other activities they'd like to do from time to time...

.

.

.

_**5 P.M.**_

It was already close to evening when Laney suddenly woke up. She found herself on bed... as usual. Then, she noticed Phillip asleep with his head on her bed. He was letting out soft sighs as he continued to sleep. The blond girl couldn't help but smile at him.

_Guess we must've fallen asleep..._ she thought. _He looks so cute when he's sleeping... though just sounds creepy..._

"Laney..." the farmer boy muttered in his sleep.

She blushed at the mention of her name.

_He's dreaming of me...! What am I doing in his dream...?_

"Laney... I..." he continued to mutter.

_You what...?!_ she thought, eager to find out what he wanted to say next.

"I... I want some of that cookies you made..." he finished, his dreamy expression showing a sign of hunger.

...

Laney sighed in disappointment. She was hoping to hear different words from him.

_So, that's what he was dreaming of..._ the sick maid thought.

She was about to get out of bed, as she no longer felt weak and horrible. Her cold was slowly disappearing. The girl was getting better... slowly but surely. As her feet touched the ground, she heard Phillip stir in his sleep. Then, she heard him speak...

"I love you..." Phillip muttered in his sleep.

Laney froze at his words. After a moment of registering his words, she turned around and faced the sleeping boy with a grateful smile.

"I love you too..." she replied, knowing he didn't hear her words. "I guess... I did fall for you, Phillip... ever since we met on the mountains... and I'm admitting to say... I love you too..."

She leaned closer to him before giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"Laney...?"

The girl silently gasped as Phillip slowly opened his eyes. She pulled away quickly and distanced herself a little.

Phillip sat up and rubbed his eyes before letting out a yawn.

"We fell asleep..." he said, still tired. "What time is it right now...?"

Laney looked at the clock on her wall.

"5:15," she answered his question.

"Oh...! I gotta put the animals back in the barn!" Phillip realized as his eyes widened in shock.

"You better hurry," Laney lectured him. "I don't want the animals to get sick like me!"

"That reminds me... how are you feeling?" the male farmer asked, concerned for her health.

"Well, I stopped coughing and sneezing... and my body doesn't ache anymore... though, I think I still need to rest a little just in case," she told him before smiling. "Thanks for keeping me company, Phillip."

"Anytime," Phillip replied with a wink before getting up and heading towards the door.

"Phillip, wait!" Laney stopped him.

The redhead boy stopped and turned to face Laney, who was blushing.

"I... have something to say... I..." she began, becoming nervous to admit her feelings. "I... I love..." She had to do it. This is the only time where she can be brave and find out about his feelings for her.

As she tried to find the right words, Phillip approached her before he stood in front of her. The male farmer leaned closer as their lips began to close distance in a second. And at that moment, his lips pressed against hers as he wrapped his arms around her.

Laney was taken by surprise, but she quickly returned the kiss. They continued to hug each other as Phillip pulled her closer to him before their kiss became more passionate. Their little sounds of gasps and sighs echoed the room as both of them closed their eyes, enjoying the sensation of their love... breaking the borders that held them back.

Both of them pulled away before they stared at each other lovingly.

"I love you too..." Phillip told her, blushing like her. "So, then... will you go out with me?"

"I'd love to," Laney answered with a serene smile before giving him a quick peck on the lips.

They hugged each other, enjoying their embrace and love...

* * *

**_The Next Day..._**

"Achoo...!"

Phillip blew his nose with a tissue before laying back down on the bed with a groan. Shortly after getting back home last night, the poor farmer began to sneeze before the aching pain in his body followed. He didn't know that Laney was still somewhat sick when they kissed... which he enjoyed, but still questioned its worth by getting sick.

"Geez, I can't believe you kissed her without knowing if she was still sick or not," Lillian told him as she placed a wet towel on his forehead. "You're lucky that Kana told me to get medicine from Dr. Ayame and come to Bluebell just to see if you got sick or not yesterday."

"Kana did...?" the redhead boy asked, shocked.

"Well, him and Georgia... as soon as they told me that you were keeping company with Laney while she was sick, I just knew you were going to catch it." She sighed after giving up on lecturing him. "Though, I guess it was bound to happen when you couldn't hold in your feelings for her anymore."

"But it was all good in the end when we officially became a couple..." he replied with a dreamy sigh. "Aside from getting sick, though."

"Well, I took care of your chores for you, so the only thing you have to do is rest and take your medicine," Lillian told him. "And don't go outside!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Phillip said with a sad expression. "It's too bad I can't visit Laney right now..."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," the female farmer reminded him with a smirk.

"Why...?"

At cue, there was a knock on the door before it opened to reveal Laney. She was full of energy and upbeat, and she looked very healthy compared to her condition yesterday.

"Phillip! Lillian told me you were sick!" she said as she approached the farmers with a basket full of food, worried. "How are you feeling?"

"It's not too bad... just a few sneezes and cou- ah... ah..." Phillip quickly turned and grabbed a tissue to cover his nose. "Achoo...! ... yeah..."

"Geez, why did you have to kiss me...?" Laney asked with a guilty expression. "You wouldn't have gotten sick if it weren't for me..."

"But you enjoyed kissing me, didn't you?" the male farmer asked with a smirk.

"W-well, I..." the blond girl stuttered blushing before sighing. "... yes."

"To me, it was definitely worth it," he told her, smiling. "And I would totally kiss you many times, over and over again."

"Well, at least you two are blunt with each other now... great," Lillian muttered, disgusted. "Well, I better get back to Konohana Village." She stood up and made her way to the door. "Get well, Phillip! And don't you dare get Laney sick again!" With that, she closed the door... leaving the sick farmer and blond maid alone.

"Now, then... time for you to take your medicine," Laney cheered as she held a bottle of medicine. "I know you haven't taken it yet, so might as well get it over with!" She poured a small amount of it onto the spoon before she proceeded to feed her lover with the curing contents.

Phillip only whimpered in response.

"Awww, man...!"

.

.

_Fin_

* * *

**4 DAYS...**

**THIS TOOK ME 4 DAYS TO FINISH THIS LONG ONE-SHOT, SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF IT WAS WORTH IT...QAQ**


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